Mar 20, 2018

You can get everything online these days, including a full range of HVAC equipment. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, and that is certainly true if you need a new furnace or air conditioner.

You may think you’re getting a discount, but in the end all you’ll get out of the deal are headaches and heartache. And in truth you won’t even get the discount: with utility and manufacturer rebates included, the total costs of purchasing from a local dealer will be equivalent to buying online, and without the extra risk.

Purchasing HVAC equipment online is a bad idea, and if you’ve been thinking about it you really need to think again.

Here are three reasons why this option is a recipe for disaster …

1. Manufacturers’ warranties won’t cover online purchases

HVAC manufacturers have the right to void their warranties if their appliances are purchased from questionable sources, and that’s exactly what they’ll do to you if you buy your furnace or air conditioner from an online dealer.

Major HVAC manufacturers are happy to offer guarantees on their equipment, on the assumption that it will be professionally installed. But when furnaces and air conditioners are purchased online, quality assurance in installation services is lacking, since the best installers generally won’t get touch equipment that has been shipped in by truck, sight unseen, from some distant warehouse.

2. If you buy a new furnace or air conditioner online, your purchase can’t be customized for size

Professional HVAC installers rely on Manual J protocols to calculate the exact heating and cooling loads HVAC equipment must meet in order to properly function in a particular home. These calculations should be performed onsite before you purchase a furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump, and if you order your equipment from an online dealer you’ll just be guessing about the size and are likely to make a mistake.

But can’t I buy equipment that’s the same size as my old equipment, you ask? No, because your heat and cooling load may have changed significantly since your last furnace or air conditioner was installed. Any remodeling or other structural changes to your home, or alterations in your living patterns, or even changes in the landscaping outside can impact your heating and cooling requirements, and possibly by a substantial degree.

Good contractors have their reputations to worry about, and they won’t be anxious to install HVAC equipment that doesn’t carry a warranty or has not been carefully chosen based on Manual J estimates (which they’ve had the chance to perform). And they won’t be willing to come to your home for repair and maintenance work, either, should your HVAC system start to break down at some point in the future.

If you purchase a furnace or air conditioner online, your only options for installation will be discount, fly-by-night operators who don’t stand behind their work and are only in it to make a fast buck. Is that really what you want?

That last is a rhetorical question, of course it isn’t.

Want Guaranteed Excellence? Choose Rheem Pro Partners

In Colorado and Wyoming, you can’t go wrong if you purchase your HVAC equipment package from Rheem Pro Partners. We’re licensed, insured, experienced, employ highly trained experts, and offer superior and highly affordable installation and maintenance services to support your purchase of a high-quality furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump. Get your equipment from us and we can guarantee you strong, reliable, consistent performance from day one. Please contact us today to speak with one of our representatives, and to find out more about our excellent products and services.